Spring base seating furniture frame



Mamh w, 193?, D. HANAUER zmww SPRING BASE SEATING FURNITURE FRAME FiledAug. 20, 1934 I Q 'PMI? Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES SPRING BASESEATING FURNITURE FRAME Darwin Hanauer, La Grange, 111., assignor to.Nachman Spring-Filled Corporation, Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 20, 1934, Serial No.740,550

Claims.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a very simple,cheap, durable and efficient seating furniture frame which may beproduced at very low cost and which is yieldin 5 in itself to a degreecommensurate to the comfort of the occupant and wherein the frame is soconstructed as to permit the introduction of springs between relativelymovable parts of the frame to resist and limit the relative movementthereof, the use of such springs being included as an object of theinvention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring base seatingfurniture frame which is capable of being made in accordance with themethod of making seating furniture frames described and claimed in theco-pending application of Louis A. Suekoff, filed of even date herewith,Serial No. 740,565.

Accompanying drawing illustrates a suitable embodiment of the inventionas follows:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a seating furniture frame constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of the same on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The frame of the present invention is composed of a plurality ofinitially oblong or substantially oblong frames made of a suitable metalwire or rod, one of said frames being of relatively great length andcomprising end rails (I) and (2) and side rails which are herein shownas completely bent and formed to constitute a base frame for a seatingfurniture unit, such as a chair.

In practice, one end portion of the initially oblong or substantiallyoblong frame referred to, is'bent at one end portion in its side railsadjacent to the end rail (I) at the points (3),

40 to provide an upwardly projecting or inverted U-shaped portion ofwhich the end rail (I) forms the upper member. The other end portion ofsaid oblong or substantially oblong frame is similarly bent at thepoints (4) to provide a downwardly extending U-shaped portion of whichthe end rail (2) forms the lower member in the completed frame. Saidframe is further bent along its side rails at the points (5) and (B) toprovide ground supports (1), legs (8) at the front of theframe,

arms (9) at the top thereof, and to cause the last-mentioned U-shapedportions to project downwardly to overlap the first-mentioned U- shapedportion with the end rails (I) and (2) of said frame disposed parallelwith each other and spaced from each other. The end rail (2) is disposedbelow the end rail (I) and preferably tension springs (III) areconnected at their ends with said end rails (I) and (2) and are heldagainst lateral movement along said rails by means of suitable spacingclips (I I) which are secured to the rails (I) and (2), respectively, inany suitable manner.

As shown in Fig. 2 each of the clips consists of a sheet metal memberbent to arcuate form through an arc materially greater than degrees (asshown in Fig. 3) and which is provided midway between its side edgeswith a longi tudinal slot in which the hook of a spring lies when saidspring is attached to the rail within said slot. Obviously, any othersuitable spacing means may be provided for the said tension spring(III).

It will be obvious also that the first-mentioned end portion of theframe terminating in the end rail (I) is of slightly greater width thanthe end portion thereof terminating at the end rail (2) in order thatsaid respective end portions may overlap each other and that the saidportion terminating in the end rail (2) may pass between the side armsof the first-mentioned inverted U- shaped portion.

For the purpose of reinforcing the frame formed as hereinbeforedescribed, a second square, oblong, or substantially oblong frame (I2)is disposed between the legs (8) of the firstnamed frame and is weldedto the latter along substantially the entire length of its side rails(I3) thus reinforcing said first-mentioned frame and also providing across-brace support for the front end of a suitable seat frame (I4)which is adapted and intended to carry a cushion which is not shownherein.

A back support frame (I5), which is also initially oblong in shape andto which braces (I6) are securedat their ends, is disposed along itslower end portion between the side arms of the second-named U-shapedportion of the base frame, which terminates in the end. rail (2) and iswelded or otherwise suitably secured thereto along the entire length ofthe portion of said frame (I5) which lies between said arms asaforesaid.

In the instance illustrated, the frame (I 5) is bent at the points (II)to provide a rearwardly inclined upper .end portion, said back-supportbeing adapted to carry a suitable cushion which, preferably, isremovably secured thereto, but which is omitted from illustratiom' Inthe instance illustrated there is shown in Fig. 3 the seat frame (I4)provided at its rear end with hooks (l9) which are adapted and intendedto receive the lower end rail (I l) of the frame (l) for supporting therear end of said frame (H). To the lower face of the frame (ll) 5adjacent the front end thereof, there is secured a cross-bar (20) whichabuts against the rear of the front seat frame support of the frame (l2)In use, a load resting upon the said frame I) will cause the rear andupper portion of the base 10 frame to sink against the action of thesprings (l0) and to the extent to which the latter will yield to theload.

While practice has demonstrated that no further reinforcement of thebase frame than is provided by the frame (I!) and the back-support (I5)is needed. it will be obvious that further braces may be introduced ifdesired.

The use of the springs (l0) permits the base frame of the chair to bemade of much lighter wire or rod than would be required otherwise and isadvantageous further in that the number of said springs may be varied tosuit the taste of the occupant of the chair.

Obviously, if a rigid base frame is desired, the overlapping endportions of the base-frame may be welded or otherwise secured againstrelative movement.

I claim as my invention: 1. A base frame member for a seatim furnitureunit comprising a pair of equal substantially parallel loop members eachpresenting a straight supporting portion, a front upright portion, arear portion projecting upwardly from the supporting portion, a topportion, a portion ex- 5 tending downwardly from the top portion at therear of the latter and to a point below the lastmentioned upwardlyprojecting portion, a crossbar joining the ends of the latter, a crossbar joining the ends of the downwardly extending portions and spacedsubstantially vertically from the first-named cross-bar, tension springsinterposed between and secured to said cross-bars, and cross-barsjoining the front upright portions of said loop members and the reardownwardly extending portions thereof below the level of the topportions and providing supports for the ends of a seat member.

2. A seating furniture frame including a skeleton unitary rod framemember presenting substantially parallel base rails, uprights at thefront and rear ends of said base rails, side arms extending from theupper ends of the front uprights to points disposed substantially abovethe upper ends of the rear uprights, a cross bar connecting the upperends of the rear uprights, a substantially U-shaped portion at the rearends of the side arms and projecting to a point below the said crossbar, the middle portion of said U- shaped portion being substantiallyparallel with said cross bar and of substantially the same length as thelatter, the side arms of said U- shaped portion and the rear uprightsbeing disposed angularly to each other and the lower end portion of saidU-shaped portion being received between the rear uprights, and tensionsprings of said U-shaped portion.

connecting said cross bar with the middle portion 3. A seating furnitureframe including a skeleton unitary rod frame member presentingsubstantially parallel base rails, uprights at the front and rear endsof said base rails, side arms extending from the upper ends of the frontuprights to points disposed substantially above the upper ends of therear uprights, a cross bar connecting the upper ends of the rearuprights, a substantially U-shaped portion at the rear ends of the sidearms and projecting to a point below the said cross bar, the side armsof said U-shaped portion and the rear uprights being disposed angularlyto each other and the lower end portion of said U-shaped portion beingreceived between the rear uprights, and tension springs connecting saidcross bar with the middle portion of said U-shaped portion, cross barsconnecting the front uprights, a cross-bar connecting the side arms ofthe U-shaped portion with each other and cooperating with one of thecross bars connecting the front uprights to provide supports for a seatframe.

4. A seating furniture frame including a skeleton unitary rod framemember presenting substantially parallel base rails, uprights at thefront and rear ends of said base rails, side arms extending from theupper ends of the front uprights to points disposed substantially abovethe upper ends of the rear uprights, a cross bar connecting the upperends of the rear uprights, a substan-- tially U-shaped portion at therear ends of the side arms and projecting to a point below the saidcross bar, the side arms of said U-shaped portion and the rear uprightsbeing disposed angularly to each other and the lower end portion of saidU-shaped portion being received between the rear uprights, cross barsconnecting the front uprights, a cross bar connecting the side arms ofthe U-shaped portion with each other and cooperating with one of thecross bars connecting the front uprights to provide supports for a seatframe.

5. A seating furniture frame comprising a unitary skeleton rod framemember presenting a pair of substantially parallel base rails, uprightsat the front and rear ends of said base rail, cross bars connecting saidrespective pairs of uprights, side arms extending from the upper ends ofthe front uprights to a point above the upper ends of the rear uprights,a substantially U-shaped member extending downwardly from the rear endsof the said side an'ns to a point below the cross bar connecting therear uprights with each other, tension springs interposed between thelast-mentioned cross bar and the middle portion of said U-shaped member,a cross bar connecting the side arms of said U-shaped member andcooperating with a cross bar connecting the front uprights with eachother to provide a seat frame support,

said rear uprights and the side arms of said -U-shaped member extendingangularly to each other and the lower end portions of the side arms ofthe U-shaped member being received between and guided by said rearuprights.

DARWIN HANAUER.

